Most women will tell you, one goal of their weight loss program is to finally have the abs of their dreams. When it comes to core fitness, you must learn to do it right. You can sit there and crunch all you want and say you are working your abs, but you won’t see any changes unless you are really squeezing those muscles. If you wake up the next day and cough and your stomach doesn’t hurt, you didn’t train your abs!
To get started, try focusing on two different abdominal exercises each day, making sure to change them in the following workout. Do anywhere from 20 to 50 reps, for a total of six to nine sets each workout. Don’t forget to stretch; it will help alleviate some of the muscle fatigue you feel the next day.
The workout
Excercise 1: Around the world
This exercise is the best! It targets your mid-section, obliques, and serratus.
Lying on your back, with your hands under your butt, raise your legs six inches off of the floor. Rotate your legs in an arc up to the right, swinging the legs until they are pointed directly at the ceiling. Continue the arc down to the left until you arrive back at starting position. For the next rep, complete the circle in the opposite direction.
Tip: “If you’re strong enough, you can do these hanging from a bar-bring your legs up to your face(allowing your lower back to round, if you need to).”
Exercise 2: Running crunches (obliques)
If you do this exercise at a steady pace you can actually break a sweat. Keep your abs contracted, bend your knees, and lift your legs to a 90-degree angle. Next, use your abdominals to lift your shoulders off the floor. In a smooth, controlled movement, alternate the right elbow to the left knee and the left elbow to the right knee. Move to the count of “one-two”, squeezing your obliques with each switch.
Exercise 3: Full-boy sit-ups
This exercise involves a lot more strength. The secret is to keep you feet planted on the ground during the whole movement.
Lying flat on your back, with your legs extended, cross your ankles. Perform a full sit-up without raising your heel off the floor. Reach foreword with your hands at the top to get a good stretch. Although these can be a great, intense alternative to crunches, you should probably give them a pass if you have any back problems.
Tip: Cross your legs so they stay tight, which will allow you to come up easier. Stay as tight as you can in your lower body to really focus on pulling with the abs.
The key to max fat loss is to not rest between reps